N.Y. pol promises bulletproof vests to Shomrim

(JTA) — A New York politician and former cop has pledged to purchase bulletproof vests for a Jewish citizens’ patrol group.

Following the shooting of four members of the Borough Park Shomrim last week by a man caught exposing himself to children, state Sen. Eric Adams announced Monday that he had purchased five vests for the Chasidic neighborhood watch group in Brooklyn and would raise funds to purchase more, according to WINS Radio.

“The only barrier between the safety of our children and this criminal behavior was this organization that we are standing in front of now," Adams told reporters Monday, "and that needs to be clearly understood.”

Adams retired as a captain in 2006 after serving 22 years with the New York City Police Department. A sometimes controversial figure, he co-founded 100 Blacks in Law Enforcement Who Care, an advocacy group for black police officers, and often spoke out against police brutality and racial profiling.